Kingdom Forgiver: looking for the Other Way in an ‘American Sniper’ world

It made me so grateful for our troops, and blessed to have our freedom.”

Chris Kyle was a hero.”

These were the comments I was getting, and overhearing, in the initial days after the release of the now mega-popular movie American Sniper: The Most Lethal Sniper in U.S. History. The film is at least somewhat based off of the autobiography of Kyle, and paints a picture on the Silver Screen about this ‘Most Lethal’ man, and his experiences in navigating life, family, war, and being prolifically… well, lethal from long distances.

I watched the movie this weekend. But my response and reaction was radically different from that of those above, and the predominant view which I had seen on social media.

I didn’t feel patriotic. I wasn’t “glad to be an American.” I wasn’t welling with pride, gratitude or thankfulness. I didn’t come away with hero awe.

Mostly, and simply, I just felt very sad.

{Before I go any further, it is necessary that I explicitly state that what I am about to say is not directly about Chris Kyle, the person. I also want to acknowledge that movies are movies – even movies based on real people – they take some creative liberties. None of my forthcoming observations are contingent upon any “facts,” or such “liberties” the movie expressed about Kyle, the man, the Iraq war, etc. Similar to my reflections upon Ferguson, what I am feeling, thinking and seeing are bigger picture – higher level than the specific names and characters – and instead more about what those names and characters and circumstances and responses reveal about myself, humanity, culture and the world…and ultimately what they reveal about Jesus and the Kingdom.}

Here is where my sadness is rooted. Humanity, to a large degree, is not learning the lesson, and is not getting anywhere. From the rock in Cain’s hand against Able’s head, to the sword of Jesus’ day and the Middle Ages, to Kyle’s sniper rifle, to the bullet that ended his own life – the violence of humanity persists.

Worse than that, we live in a culture, a country, where this violence is justified, glorified, deified even. This makes me sad.

The Rock, meanwhile commanded us to an Other Way… turn the other cheek, love your enemies, pray for those who hurt you and do good to them, put down your swords and beat them into plowshares…

When the story of a person who is the “Most Lethal” in history becomes, in a large way, a national unity-point, and the protagonist labeled a “hero,” it makes me sad.

When killing is justified, and celebrated, it makes me sad.

When symbols and imagery that are meant to reflect “Christianity” (such as a Bible, a church building, etc.) are then conflated with violence that the God of Love came to put an end to, it makes me sad.

When I see responses to the experience of a story capturing such violence – incite even more violence – it makes me sad.

Look, I realize that not everyone who watches this film will walk away with a hateful, racist, violent mindset – with lustful imaginations of “shooting some fuckin’ rag heads.” But, it is becoming more and more clear to me that a great majority of people, and even of those who profess Jesus (in America especially) don’t need this movie or it’s ‘bigger picture’ to reveal that, expressed or implied, nationalism, empiricism and violent justification (sometimes in the name of God) are a problem, and idolatrous.

It leaves me asking a lot of questions, seriously:

Does God love “Chris Kyle” more than any “Mustafa” out there? More than the Veteran who ultimately killed Kyle?

Is killing another person really ok, when it’s for “God, country and family?”

When did it become ok to kill a “few” so that “many” would be protected – to reduce “collateral damage?”

When did the United States of America become God’s favored nation and people?

Are we all so brainwashed that our first, only, and automatic response – the one we literally defend to the death (usually of the other) – is that this violence to protect ours (nation, people, land, “freedom”) is ok, that this is just how it is and is supposed to be?

Maybe “brainwash” is too strong? Or maybe it’s not. What do you think is really underneath SEAL training – when men are continually put in brutal situations to “break them.” We’ve all seen scenes or footage of this stuff, and some of it was portrayed in this movie. Usually, we laud those who persevere to the end and don’t “ring the bell” to quit. They are real soldiers, heroes. Then, they can be “lethal” in the name of God and country, and sincerely “stand before (their) creator and be ok with every one of (their) kills.” After all, that killing prevented more killing (of “us,” the “good guys,” right?). I know I used to day dream about being one of those badasses.

But I’m not with that anymore.

I realize now that the Ultimate “brainwash” happened in a Garden, we call it the Fall. It allegorically explains mankind’s fallen inclination to rely on ourselves or others, rather than our Source. The mind took over for the Spirit of Life, and in its blind state believed the lie of separation – producing death. “Sin” is the very mechanism by which we are mimetic (we imitate each other out of desire) and rivalrous, and importantly, ultimately violent against each other. This is the foundation of Cain, our very civilization.

I now realize that Jesus came in a massive way, to liberate us, deliver us… “save” us from this cycle of self-destruction. When God was in Christ, and suffering death at our hands, He did not respond as “gods” and men were expected to respond. Instead, He walked out of the earth, alive, and pronounced Peace to all men, thus making a spectacle of our systems of Empire and our retributive violence, mocking them as He disempowered them with an ushering in of a Kingdom, and a non-retributive response of Forgiveness.

But we have not seen the Better Way.

We fight and kill and say it is ok for “God?” – But we all are children of the same Father, or how about this… Allah.

We fight and kill and say it is ok for “Country?” – But there are no countries, only the Kingdom of God.

We fight and kill and say it is ok for “Family?” – But we are allThe Family of God.

Jesus redefined all of these for us in His Life, Death and Resurrection. The Kingdom is not entered by DNA or country residence or citizenship. Even the Muslim in Fallujah is a brother and sister to the “Christian” in Fort Worth – only our blindness in violence has kept us from seeing and realizing our “salvation” into this. When we fail to know who we are – our Oneness in the Trinity, and in all people – we will think and believe and act in ways counter to our True Nature. The woman and child carrying the grenade toward the U.S. convoy is just as blind and deceived as the person on the other end of the scope lasered in on them. We easily vilify an extreme terrorist for violent acts against us in the name of “their god.” But we do the same when we respond to that violence, with violence, in the name of “our god.”

But this God, Abba, Father, is a God of Love, and He is drawing mankind still, out of the blindness of being separated from His Life, and from each other.

These eternal truths transcend what has been aligned with in the fallen mind of empiricism and separation. It’s really difficult to pull the trigger when you begin to see all people as the same as you – cut from the same Rock, of the same Father, in the same Citizenship, of the same Family.

I realize these are hard discussions, difficult issues, with no easy way out. I have family that served in this same conflict as Chris Kyle. I have dear friends with sons who are training to go into this conflict, or the next one. My opinion on this is not popular, and I understand. I didn’t share it myself, and would have vehemently rejected it only a few years ago. And lest you accuse me of disrespecting “our military” or have forgotten that I’m not really addressing Chris Kyle specifically here, let me say this: in so many ways, Chris, and our military, and all of us, are the “collateral damage” here. We are all a product of our environments. We are all “brainwashed” be the Oppressor message, the one that says “us/them,” “in/out,” “good/bad,” “kill or be killed.” The very fact that I will likely be soundly dismissed, or worse, from this message, is indication of how far we have to go to even START seeing the Better Way. But I no longer can support the trajectory of violence and self-destruction that the world, and America in particular, are on. I want to align with the word of Shalom that Jesus spoke after He Himself was the victim of the most epic violence in history. I want to align with what He spoke a few short months before that fateful day.

Forgive others…”

You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also.”

But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”

Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.”

I hear all the objections… I’ve said them, and I still wrestle with them…

I don’t know. Again, I agree that these are hard issues. But I know violence and death are not the solution. Well, maybe some death is?…

Maybe some of us (a bunch of us?) need to die, in the face of oppression and anger and violence – but in a posture of non-violent, non-retributive Love. Maybe more and more and more need to die in that manner, with no violent resistance and no killing to repay killing or killing “them” to “prevent” killing “us.” Maybe then, a bunch more thereafter need to respond to these being killed in enemy-love and non-retribution – with forgiveness and a continued lack of retribution. Maybe some nations need to follow suit. Maybe the United States should go first. Maybe then, the world will see, and change. Maybe that’s what it means to have the New Earth, Heaven fully realized… here. They will know It is The Way by Its Love.

This is what it means, in part, to bear the Cross. Resurrection and Life follow submission and death. Forgiveness disempowers the Powers and Empire. The Cross, The Kingdom, The Life, The Love… The Gospel, are forever and eternally the only Other Way. Jesus is the Antidote.

We have a Hero, and He doesn’t come to steal or kill or destroy. No, the Thief does that. And the Thief has been, and is us, humanity, when we respond to violence with violence. This is the tired and deadly path of the false self, the fallen mind and the fear paradigm. It’s time to wake up and realize our redeemed innocence, our inclusion as “all men” in the Divine Fellowship, our True Self and the Love paradigm.